Answers or Strife
by Njoror
Summary: Team RWBY competes to place number one in their class in the battle arena. On their they meet a person who will change the course of the academy, and their lives. Bumblebee and White Rose, rated M for adult themes and possible cursing. CURRENTLY ON HIATUS.
1. The Tournament

**A/N**

**Little introduction to this story. I got the idea when I started drawing parallels between RWBY and Chrome Shelled Reggios. I thought, "Well, if one military school has a ranking system, why not another?" Thus this story was born. I haven't decided if I want to go more into Bumblebee or White Rose yet, but the story will have a (hopefully) coherent plot. Also, I would like to attempt to work the music from the show in. Tell me what you thought of the fight scenes, are they too rushed, not descriptive enough, repetitive, etc. And the story of course. Now that you've probably skipped over this whole ramble, enjoy what you came here for.**

Blake gazed down at her scroll. After the Round Robin of teams, Professor Ozpin had decided that the supremacy of teams had been established, leaving the two best teams to a finals and the two teams tied for third for that match. Truth be told, the only rank that mattered was being first or not, but it allowed the better teams a chance to brag, even if all they held was third place.

Team JNPR had won, barely beating out their opposer. Because of the nature of secrecy, no team had been allowed to watch another team's event until the finals and third place matches. Normally such restrictions wouldn't have applied, but there were an odd number of teams this year, meaning that it was possible that the teams in the finals could have never faced each other.

Which brought Blake back to her scroll. Team RWBY had gone 10-0 in their standings, but the other team had also had a perfect record. Because of the nature of the tournament, the only way a finals match could even take place was in that scenario. Team JNPR had gone 7-3, as had their challengers, team MORT.

The team RWBY was facing now was the reason an odd number of teams existed. One boy had not found a partner in the Emerald Forest, but rather than stick him into a team that had lost a member, professor Ozpin had decided to give the boy his own team. Team D, with its one member, had taken down every team so far, and it was RWBY's turn to take him on.

Blake focused her attention on the picture the scroll showed. The boy was of a medium build, with gray hair and eyes. He wore a dark hooded cloak, not unlike the one Ruby wore, but much larger. It went around to cover the arms rather than being attached at the shoulder blade. While knowledge of someone's appearance didn't help determine their strength or fighting style, even with Blake's cat eyes she could not see the boy from across the arena.

The arena was set up to accommodate any fighting style. Outdoors, but controlled. Where team RWBY stood was an open plain, but to their left stood a thick forest, which curved right around the plain to join up with the lake to their right. On the far shore was a sandy area, perfect for traps. Behind team RWBY was a rocky expanse, resembling highlands fighting areas. All in all, the arena was set up to cater to almost every need, and the teams RWBY had fought had used almost every part so far.

Blake looked to her teammates for reassurance. They had already made their plan, regardless of the boy's fighting style. Blake would disappear into the trees and attempt to flank. Ruby and Weiss would give support, with Weiss closing half the distance, as Yang dove in. The brawler's style could incorporate long range engages, but she was far superior in a hand to hand sort of affair. Yang smiled at Blake, and Ruby gave her a thumbs-up. Blake returned both. Weiss was distracted off to the side, but Blake didn't worry. She had sat through Ruby's strategy plannings and memorized every word. Blake had to admit she was impressed with how intelligent Ruby was for these sort of things.

Professor Ozpin's cough over the sound system shook team RWBY from their thoughts. The entire affair was being broadcasted across the school, so Blake supposed it was Ozpin's turn to have a few "motivational words" before the fight started. She listened intently to what he had to say, even though she knew what was likely coming.

"Ladies and gentlemen, students of Beacon academy. Welcome to the First Year class team rankings event. I am glad we hold such a truly wonderful amount of talent in this year's batch of freshmen. Team RWBY has already proven themselves multiple times, to varying audiences, and their undefeated record is quite exceptional.

"Team D has not had the same fame as team RWBY, but he may yet earn even more. He has an undefeated record for a reason ladies and gentlemen, and an unknown foe can be much more dangerous than even the strongest of the known. To teams RWBY and D, I wish you good luck and good fighting. Remember, the fight is over for you when your aura reaches the red-zone. Just in case, personnel are standing-by to offer medical assistance. Without further ado, let the match commence!"

As Professor Ozpin's voice winked out, Blake thought she could make out clapping from the spectators, but it was most likely a trick of the wind. The spectators were much too far away from the arena, as more than one stray bullet would be likely to fly.

"Blake, go, left side!" cried Ruby. She had already extended her scythe and had it stuck in the ground like a sniper rifle. Apt, because it _was_ a sniper rifle. "Yang, upfront, to the right. Weiss, follow her and stop, hug the trees!" Blake had to give it to their socially inept leader; in a battle, she was top form. However, the plan changed much quicker than Blake had expected.

From the other side of the plain Blake could see than team D had levered himself into a tree, and he stood on a branch out sideways. Suddenly, there was a flash of light and Yang cried out. Lightning struck her full in the chest, and she was blown backwards. However, the whole team already had their auras up, and the strike did little more than sinking Yang's aura.

"Change of plans!" came the voice of their leader. "Blake, flank him as fast as possible." Blake moved off to do as she was told. From behind her, she heard Ruby's voice continuing to give orders. "Weiss! Hold him off, stop his lightning. Me and Yang will fire from a distance, there's no way Yang could close on him without getting hit." Blake smiled at their leader's confidence. She now had one goal. She disappeared into the forest.

* * *

Weiss watched as the lightning stuck Yang. The man must have the same abilities as her, she reasoned. Weiss listened to Ruby's new orders and nodded. It made sense, as she could effectively nullify their opponent's attacks until Blake's flank took him out. When Ruby got to the point about her and Yang firing from a distance, Weiss mentally corrected it to "Yang and I" under her breath.

She didn't have any time to think about her leader's faulty grammar however, as this time she could see the glyph that appeared in front of the man. She made a glyph of her own to block the power, but nearly staggered back a step as the next bolt hit her barrier. She took a look at her scroll to confirm that Yang had only lost a sixth of her aura to the first bolt.

If Weiss could have gotten paler, she would have. That bolt would have knocked off at least half of her aura, and there was no reason for him to fire weak shots. Weiss had to seriously reconsider the power of the sisters with this revelation. However, it didn't last long as the man prepared another glyph.

Weiss heard the shots firing from Crescent Rose and Ember Celica, but none of them seemed to faze the man, who fired off another bolt. This time Weiss did take a step back. It was stronger than the one she had previously blocked.

As the battle continued, neither team made much headway. Weiss continued to block stronger and stronger shots, while the artillery from Ruby and Yang seemed to have minimal effect. Weiss was panting now, sweat dripping down her face.

She would have told her team if she had time to, that their opponent was an expert. Weiss had heard from her instructors that the most skilled users of energy manipulation could steadily increase their power over the course of a fight. It was a steady increase because the experts knew that their power was so great, going from normal to full power would drain their aura in the blink of an eye, and leave them instantly dead. Whoever they were fighting wasn't tiring, and Weiss could only hope that Blake made it to him on time.

One more bolt, one more block. Weiss checked her scroll. Her opponent was still in the green zone in terms of aura, only about 20% of his gone. Weiss was dipping dangerously into the yellow, with over 55% of her aura missing. Weiss saw the shot coming, and knew she couldn't block it.

"Watch out!" she cried to her teammates. Weiss saw them turn in horror as her glyph broke under the force of the bolt, and it took her straight in the chest. Weiss felt the impact, felt herself being blown off her feet. The last thing she could remember was Ruby's arms encircling her, before the blackness overtook her.

* * *

Ruby's expression took on a look of horror as the lightning bolt from their opponent struck directly through Weiss's glyph and hit her. Ruby flash-stepped behind her, grabbing the girl as she fell. She held Weiss in her arms as the girl fell into unconsciousness. Ruby checked her scroll. Weiss's aura was low, but still had over 10% left, meaning that there was little risk to her now. She was out of the fight.

Ruby slowly lowed Weiss's head onto the ground. She knew it was unlikely the heiress could have stopped him, but she didn't think she had to. Ruby had hoped that with covering fire, Weiss could hold him off long enough for Blake to draw his attention, then the four of them would converge and take him out.

It seemed that for the moment the lightning had stopped, probably due to Weiss being down but not out of the arena, so further assault could accidentally harm her. But then Ruby saw flashes in the distance, showing a different story. Blake had gotten there.

* * *

Blake glanced at her scroll one more time as she flew through the trees. Weiss was down for the count, making this a three on one now. But team D had used a lot of aura to break through, which meant he probably couldn't offer much resistance to Blake.

Black threw out her Shroud one more time, and the blade sunk into the giant oak she had flung it at. Using her running momentum, Blake use the tree as a pivot, her ribbon swinging her around straight towards the boy that had taken down her teammate. With a tug on the ribbon Shroud came flying back to her. Just before she reached the boy, she switched it back to its clever form.

He was forced to dodge her first strike, as the combination of momentum and surprise would have split him in two had it hit. Blake had anticipated his jump to the side, so mid-swing she turned Shroud back into a gun, and shot straight at him. She heard a _thump_ and a grunt, signifying she had hit her target.

The boy barely even faltered though, and shot off a bolt point-blank at Blake. She grabbed a tree branch and flung herself over it, using her earlier motion to fly right back at the boy. He responded quickly, firing off a bolt in her path, but Blake was faster. Blake threw Shroud out in front of her, the metal absorbing the shock. The force of the hit stopped Shroud's momentum, allowing Blake to grab it as she flew in for her kill.

Just as Blake went in for the final hit, she saw something in front of her. He had created a glyph right in front of her face. The last thing Blake saw was the flash of light from the glyph, as she tried to focus in on the eyes of the boy. He did not seem exuberant at his victory, only resigned. Blake's thoughts drifted off into darkness.

* * *

"Yang, we're going in!" called Ruby. Yang glanced at her scroll and swore. Blake was at around 15% aura, still comfortably breathing, but off in dreamland with Weiss. She glanced at team D's aura, and saw it was at only 60%. At least all she and Ruby had to do was take him down 25%, as 35% began the cutoff to the red-zone. This fight was one hell of a lot harder than she thought it was going to be. This should have been a hack job, done and over with in time for lunch.

Instead, team D, one damn man, had taken out two of their teammates. Yang probably should have considered that he had also beaten everyone RWBY had beat, but that was far from her thoughts going into the fight.

Breaking out of her thoughts, Yang glided forward to follow Ruby. The sisters practically fly over the distance of the field, easily dodging the sporadic lightning bolts that still flew across at them.

"Yang, split!" ordered Ruby. Yang knew this formation. Ruby would go in first, a swirl of rose petals and blades, while Yang came in after to finish him off. It wasn't foolproof, and their opponent was _very_ good, but hell, it was worth a shot. Besides, the main point was that it opened up very little counter availability for glyph users, what they had dubbed "mages".

As Ruby came in from the left of the guy, she flash-stepped almost on top of him, firing off multiple shots from Crescent Rose, causing her body to spin like a top. The result was an unbreakable coating of steel around Ruby's body, to which the mage had no response. He swung down on the branch, only to find a smiling Yang in his face.

"Hi there!" she said, and punched him right in the face, punctuating the punch with a shot. He flew backwards into the field, sprawling on the ground. Yang risked a look at her scroll, noting he had fallen to 50%. _15% more_, she thought to herself.

Yang heard no more instructions, meaning that it was time they fought on instinct. Ruby flash-stepped out of the tree, her scythe clearing a path, forcing the man to roll away. His cloak still covered the majority of his body, and Yang couldn't make him out. That irked her for some reason. Ruby's move was ended by sticking the scythe into the ground, her momentum flinging her right back at the man. Yang took the opportunity to dash in from the back.

The man, caught in a pincer, jumped into the air. A glyph appeared below him, which he fell through just before Yang and Ruby joined at the spot beneath him. Instead of the expected lightning bolt, the electricity coated his hands, making them look quite similar to Yang's own weapon. With one hand he stopped the scythe and the other he caught Yang's punch.

Yang was faster than Ruby at reacting, firing off a shot from her caught had to disengage herself and another at his stomach to push herself away. He took the shot to the stomach with barely a notice, but Yang had bought enough time for Ruby to retract Crescent Rose and fire point blank at him. The man jumped backwards this time, his fist catching Ruby fully in the mouth as he swept by.

"Ugh," Yang heard from where Ruby landed. The damage didn't seem too severe, but he was strong. As Yang watched, he raised one hand towards them, and curled his fingers. Beckoning them, as if daring them to do their worst.

Yang's aura exploded around her, she knew her eyes had gone red. _The arrogant bastard_, she thought, _he's asking for it now_! Yang fired two shots behind her, propelling herself forward. This was a fight Ruby would take no part in, as the two gloved fighters took up stances within arms range for each of them. Yang lead off with a feint towards his head with her left, only to fire a shot backwards from her right, which spun her around, causing her elbow to go straight into his gut. He grunted, but responded by getting a solid hit on the square of her back.

The electricity hurt like hell, but Yang was fired up now. _Literally_, she thought to herself, then giggled. She had no time to revel in her pun though, as team D took the assault. He flew forwards, and then came Yang's favorite part of a fist-fight. The man and Yang exchanged a flurry of blows, each and every single one hitting. But Yang held the advantage as each of her hits were accompanied by a shot from Ember Celica, although his came with that damn shock.

Yang wasn't sure how long it lasted, but finally she got off a perfect him, socking his jaw, and the last explosive shot sent him flying into the grass. Ruby was on him in an instant, but Yang called her off. She had checked her scroll, which showed him at the bare 35% required for defeat. Yang herself was only at 45%, with Ruby at 90%. They had won, but it didn't feel convincing. Before they could to celebrate, Yang and Ruby had teammates to care for.

**A/N**

**The things I didn't put at the start. I tried to make each person's perspective sound like their personality. Tell me how I did, how much you liked or hated it, whatever. R&R, I'd prefer to have a little bit of feedback in order to edit the next chapter before I put it out. Also, PM me if you're interested in beta-ing my work before I put it out. I don't proofread, as you might be able to tell from the mistakes in this.  
**


	2. Bodyguard

Glass _clinked_ as Yang met the toast from Pyrrha. The two teams were celebrating their success after the recent tournament, although Yang would have prefered a different type of celebration. Unfortunately, that type would have been against campus rules. Still she could hope.

Yang looked over to Blake as the cat girl laughed at some inanity from Nora. After the match, the two sisters had brought their partners to the infirmary, and waited until they had made a full recovery. Seeing as all they had done was lost a lot of aura, that didn't take long. Now with the sun setting for the evening, the four of them decided to splurge a little bit.

The sound of hastily gulping water and a slam on the back reminded Yang that some of them weren't going to limit themselves to "a little bit". Ruby had gone all out on sweets from the cafeteria, getting two full plates of cookies, three milkshakes, and over 50 brownie squares. Weiss hit Ruby again, making sure that their leader had choked down her food, although Yang suspected that it was also somewhat for Weiss' enjoyment. She could not figure out what Ruby saw in the girl, but she supposed Weiss did have her moments.

Pyrrha turned away at the sound of footsteps approaching. Jaune had finally made his way in after getting a scolding from professor Goodwitch. Something along the lines of not adhering to the standards expected at Beacon, yada yada. What was more interesting was the paper he carried in his hand. Without even turning to Pyrrha, he walked over to Ruby and set down the paper.

"Some guy gave me this, said to give it to you," Jaune said lamely. Although just about everything the guy did was lame in Yang's opinion, but no one had asked for it. Besides, he was trying.

"Uhh, thanks," replied Ruby. "I guess."

Yang decided to indulge in a bit of teasing. "Looks like you got a secret admirer sis. I'm so happy for you." Ruby's face turned the color of her precious weapon, but Yang didn't get a chance to wrap her in a suffocating hug. The color left Ruby's face as she opened and read the message. Without a word she passed it to Yang, who read it aloud.

"_To Team RWBY -_

_Ruby, meet me outside on the second floor terrace as soon as you can._

_You may take as many members of your team with you if you'd like, but_

_please no more than your team. I am not good in crowds, I'd prefer to _

_meet in a quiet place._

_-Team D_"

Yang's confusion only rose as she continued reading aloud. She turned towards Blake and Weiss, who both bore similar expressions of confusion. "Well…?" she prompted Ruby.

"I suppose we go," said the girl, biting on her lip. "Would you like to come?"

"Like hell I'm going!" steamed Yang. "No way is some creepy guy getting my baby sister alone!" Ruby blushed again, although Yang knew she was right. She looked back at Blake for support, and the ninja was already on her feet. Yang also rose, as did Ruby. A second later, Weiss followed.

"We'll be back," Yang promised team JNPR. The four of them nodded, but it was clear Pyrrha and Jaune were lost in their own little world, and Nora had already begun to talk Ren's ear off. Yang felt bad for the guy. Maybe she should take him to a club sometime, meet some new girls. Yang instantly shot down that idea. _On second thought, Nora would destroy the entire place if she heard that another girl had made a move on Ren_…

* * *

Yang's footsteps echoed as the team made their way to the terrace. Most teams were already in for the night, or were down at the cafeteria, meaning the halls were empty. As they made the turn to the terrace, Yang saw the guy that called them there. His black cloak billowed in the wind, his back turned. The terrace faced east, meaning that the setting sun shone just past the terrace, making the whole thing seem much darker than it should have been.

"Greetings," the man said. His voice was raspy and dry, giving the impression he hadn't spoken in a long time. "I-_ahem_-have something I would-_ahem_-like to say." His throat clearing didn't seem to help at all, if anything his voice was raspier.

"We're all ears," said Weiss snidely. Yang was forced to agree with her in this instance. She turned, only to see Blake's eyes very wide. Yang gave her a little nudge, but it didn't seem to do anything. With her partner entranced, Yang gave her attention back to the reason they were there.

"Of course. Well-_ahem_-on to it. First things first,-_ahem_-I would like to say well done on your win. You did quite-" he was cut off by a coughing fit. His cloak seemed to shiver, and Blake gasped. Before she could say anything, the man continued."-well. Which is why this next part may seem strange." Yang held her breath. It wouldn't actually do anything, but it always felt like things went faster when you held your breath. "Professor Ozpin has _decided_," he went on, putting strange emphasis on the word, "that I should protect your team."

His hand instantly raised. Yang looked over to see Ruby and Weiss' mouths both open. She let out a little snicker at their predictability. "Of course, I know first hand how little protection you need," he went on, "but much as I argued, Ozpin's mind wouldn't change.

"So-"

"You want to-" came from Ruby and Weiss simultaneously. But Blake cut them off.

"Wait," she said simply. "Turn around." the stranger did, and it was the first time Yang got a decent look at him. His eyes were beedy, small, and pitch black. His nose was beedy, and his mouth thin and pale. His skin looked the color of Weiss' dress, and was gaunt. Overall, he looked a damn mess. Blake let out a sigh at seeing him. "I knew it," she said.

He smiled, but it did nothing for him. His skin was merely stretched even tighter, and it did not reach his eyes. "Wait," cut in Weiss, "knew what?"

Blake had her weapon out and in gun form instantly, pointing it directly at the man. "When the White Fang's newest leader took over, I remember seeing him. He's a Faunus the White Fang hired." The smile grew wider, and suddenly his cloak stopped being a cloak. Great wings, black as night, shot out from behind his back, like he was shaking out his feathers. Which was exactly what he was doing.

"I am honored that you remember," he drawled. _It isn't a tone of voice that works for him_, Yang thought critically.

"Like hell," said Blake. "The White Fang hired you as an assassin." Ruby gasped, and Weiss took a step back. Yang held her ground for her part, but flicked Ember Celica into combat mode all the same. _Could he have called us here to kill us? No, that would be too risky. Then why?_ Her train of thought was cut off by another laugh.

"Ah yes," he said, "I remember you, cat." Blake bristled at the word. "So ready to help the White Fang you were. When did they tell you what I was there for?"

"They didn't. I found out a raven Faunus killed the owner of the Hermir and Sons Dust Company and remembered when they hired you. The legendary mirror Faunus." Blake's voice got darker as she went on, her gun raised a little higher.

"Wait, what?" asked Yang. "Mirror?"

"Look at him," said Blake. "No weapon." Yang hadn't thought about it, but he had none. Even when they had fought, all he had used were glyphs and his hands. "His eyes are mirrors. He copies other people's techniques, and lets his aura become a copy of it."

"Then…" started Yang. "That lightning around his fists…"

"Indeed," he rasped. "Your own weapon is quite interesting." Yang wasn't sure if she should be sickened or proud. "But back to the question at hand," he went on. "Ozpin feels some type of responsibility towards your team. Your brawler knows why." Three sets of eyes turned to a rather confused Yang. "Although she does not know yet." He smirked.

"Enough riddles," broke in Ruby, her voice strangely serious. Even Yang had barely ever seen her sister completely serious. "You said Ozpin gave you a job to 'protect' us, correct?" He nodded. "How?"

He cocked his head to the side, a fittingly bird-like action in Yang's book, while he thought. "I am to fol-watch over you." He had been about to say 'follow', Yang knew. She decided he was just relaying his instructions and didn't want to seem like such a damn creep. He had a long way to go in that area. "Come now, the sun sets. I will _allow _you your privacy," the way he said 'allow' made Yang nervous, as if he could stop 'allowing' at any time, "so continue your daily routine. Forget I am even there." His wings snapped back, flapping, as he rapidly ascended and disappeared into the darkening sky.

* * *

"I don't trust him," exclaimed Weiss as soon as they got back to their room. She was sitting on her bed with her legs dangling, Ruby sitting cross-legged above her. Yang was also letting her legs dangle, as she knew that Blake would by lying back in her bed anyway.

"I don't see as we have much choice," put in Blake from beneath her. "Let's face it Wiess-he's damn strong. We can't really stop him, and if he's got the administration backing him up…" She let her voice trail off, allowing the others to use their imagination.

"That doesn't mean I have to trust him!"

"I agree with Weiss," said Ruby. "Have any of you even seen him in our classes?"

Yang looked around. Weiss said she hadn't, nor had Ruby obviously, and Yang herself had not. "What about you Blake?"

Blake just laughed. "He's been there. He hangs from the rafters in Grim Studies and History, and in the classes we have outside, he sits in the trees." Yang stared open-mouthed at the bed below her, although she couldn't even see Blake. Who the hell watched the ceiling in History?

"Well…" said a very flustered Weiss. "I still don't like him!"

"That so?" asked Blake. "You sure it has nothing to do with him being a Faunus?"

Weiss didn't justify that with an answer. Instead she just picked up her scroll and made a call.

"Who are you calling?" asked Ruby.

"Professor Ozpin," Weiss replied smugly. "I'm going to ask him about this. Hello? Professor Ozpin? This is Weiss Schnee. From team RWBY? I had a question. Well-yes, I know. Anyway, team D recently told us-oh." Yang locked eyes with Ruby, and saw the same amusement in her sister's eyes. Obviously, all was not quiet on the Schnee front. "Well can you tell us-why not?! But-he hung up on me!"

Yang and Ruby couldn't contain their laughter, and it came bursting out. Yang rolled on her bed as she _guffawed_, only pausing to _squeak_ when she almost rolled off the bed. Even Blake chuckled a little from her bed.

Weiss was instantly on her feet. "What's so funny?!"

"Just...You!" Yang choked out through her laughter. "Have you even just been you know, _denied_, like that before? Over the phone? It was just too good."

"Well," huffed the heiress. "I'm not just going to let some no good F-man, tell me what to do!"

"Seriously Weiss," Blake laughed, "we don't have to like him. Think of it like a bodyguard."

"All right," broke in Ruby, who had subsided from her laughter much faster than Yang, "let's just… get some sleep guys." It was rather lame, but then again, Ruby didn't really know how to lead. She was trying though. "We're sparring tomorrow, so everyone, do your best!"

**A/N**

**Finally finished the damned chapter. Really hard to write, not because of any themes but because I suck at writing dialogue. Seriously, that's why I can't proofread. If I read my dialogue aloud I'd have a broken laptop already, which would mean an end to anything. This chapter serves as a continuation of the introduction, and the start of the first arc. For those of you who are here for the White Rose and Bumblebee stuff, you'll probably have to wait at least another chapter, I'd really rather not rush into that.**

**As a side note, I didn't even realize how much D's skill sounds like Kakashi from Naruto until I finished fleshing him out. You'll see why he is how he is next chapter, I promise. And less dialogue! Yay!**


	3. The Sparring Match

"Yang. Yang!" The whine of Ruby's shouts pierced through Yang's dream, forcing the blonde to open her eyes. "Yan-_ooph_!" The pillow that had recently been under Yang's head found its way into Ruby's mouth, effectively quieting the excitable leader. However, with no pillow left to rest on, Yang was forced to get up all the same.

"What time is it anyway?" she asked, irked at the intrusion to her sleep.

"Seven fifty," said a disinterested Blake, flipping through some novel. The title was _The Art of War_, by some dude named Sun Tzu. At least Yang assumed it was a dude. Girls didn't write that sort of thing. Then the time hit her.

Slowly, very slowly, Yang lowered herself from her bunk and walked over to her partner. With one hand she lowered the Faunus' book, and with the other she forced her to look her in the eyes. "Are you telling me," she said with a forced calmness, "that I have less than ten minutes to get up, eat, and do my hair?"

Blake nodded, unfazed. She looked over Yang's shoulder. "Eight now." Before Yang could start bodily harming the cat Ruby had already grabbed her arm.

"So you should uh… Start now!" Glaring daggers into all three of them, Yang made her way to the bathroom to change. As soon as she closed the door she heard the muffled giggles of three people on the other side.

"Ruby, for once you did something right," giggled Weiss. "Setting the clock two full hours ahead, she never expected it."

Even Blake seemed to have joined in for the fun. "Did you see the look on her face? Priceless."

A door flying off its hinges into the room brought the three back to reality. In the now doorless doorframe stood a _very_ angry Yang, her aura literally beginning to burn the carpet, with embers falling off it.

"So… Who wants to explain?" It was going to be an interesting morning.

* * *

Even with their early start due to Ruby's joke, the four of them barely made it to class on time. Sparring was outside today due to a third-year class taking the main stage, and Goodwitch said she wanted the students to practice using terrain. "Know your terrain if you know not your enemy," she had explained. Thus, the class took place in a wooded part of the grounds, although the space for their fight was on the back of a large flat rock.

Yang gave it a once over, deciding that it was definitely not natural. The sides were jagged, rather than smooth, indicating that it was cut. _Holy crap, was I just… Analytical? Got to stop doing that_. Yang grinned as Goodwitch had them all sit down, giving their team's honored heiress a heart attack. Having to sit on actual dirty ground would do wonders for Yang to get back at her. Blake and Ruby would have their turns soon.

Sooner than she had expected too. The third match-up was to be Blake versus Yang. Blake winced as they both got into position, Yang's grin foreshadowing a painful future for her partner.

"Begin!"

Yang wasted no time, firing two shots behind her to shoot-_funny_-across the field. Blake had already begun her own trick, and used her Shadow to make sure Yang's first punch hit thin air. Blake appeared behind Yang, intending to get a slice off the brawler's back to open things up. But Yang knew where she would appear, and instead fired a shot into the Shadow, pushing herself backwards and inside Blake's reach.

Yang's maneuver not only caused Blake's attack to skim harmlessly in the air in front of Yang's face, but also had Yang actually touching Blake. Ember Celica fired off again, her elbow finding its way into Blake's ribs. Blake's aura prevented the brunt of the hit, but it still hurt, and propelled Blake a distance away.

Yang turned into her elbow, spinning and firing off two shots at Blake as she moved through the air. Blake could see this one coming and was able to Shadow a short distance away. Her clone taking the hits, Yang thought she had actually scored some hits, and went in for the kill. Her first punch onto the still mid-air clone had a shot behind it, but as it hit the clone disappeared. Realizing she had been duped, Yang tried to turn around, but it was too late.

Blake used Shroud in cleaver form to slash Yang's hamstrings as she Shadowed past. While Yang's aura prevented them from being cut, her knees still buckled. Now with the edge, Blake turned Shroud into a gun, firing two quick shots at the blonde before she could react. Both hit, but the first spun the brawler as it crashed into the right side of her chest, making the second hit her shoulder.

The spin put some of Yang's hair in the way of the second shot, which the bullet sliced clean off. Just three strands of hair, but Yang noticed. So did Blake. Yang looked up from where she sat on the ground, her eyes full red.

"First the trick with the clock, now my hair…" Yang said as she got to her feet. "You must have a death wish." The smile she gave Blake promised a thousand slow deaths.

Blake had to know by now that things had gotten bad. "Now Yang, you know that was…" Blake trailed off as she saw the fiery aura shoot up around Yang, igniting the tree above her. Blake visibly gulped.

Yang shot across the space in the blink of an eye, but a blink was all the ninja needed to Shadow into the trees behind her. Yang wasn't letting her get off the easy. With a yell, Yang dashed into the trees as well, her aura and Ember Celica lighting the way for her. Blake took advantage of the brawler's anger to try a daring sneak attack, Shadowing in with the hopes of getting her cleaver under Yang's chin and force a loss. She had forgotten just how hot her partner's aura was, and the sizzling of clothes was all Yang needed to spin around and punch Blake square in the jaw.

To the spectators, all they could see was a fire in the forest and some movement. Suddenly, a black shape burst out trailing flames. Before Yang could go too far, Goodwitch broke in. "The winner is Yang Xiao Long!"

Yang seemed to have forgiven Blake with her punch, but Blake was too hurt to allow the brawler to wrap an arm around her for the rest of class. Blake went over to Ruby, hoping the sister would offer protection against the violent tendencies of the blonde. Ruby looked over at Yang and mouthed '_she likes me better_.' Yang just stuck out her tongue.

Most of the rest of class was pretty uneventful, Weiss took on Sky Lark and crushed him with no contest. Pyrrha versus Ren was pretty good, but the black haired boy couldn't stand up to the sports champion, and eventually lost. Near the end of class, Goodwitch announced the last match. "Ruby Rose versus D!"

Muttering sprung up around the class. Yang felt like hitting herself in the head, she had almost forgotten about their "bodyguard." Ruby got up and stood on the stage. With her protector gone, Blake had nowhere to go but back to her partner. Yang grinned as the cat gingerly sat down, although she had made sure she was out of arm's-reach.

A rustling of leaves brought the eyes of the class towards a large pine, right next to where Nora and Ren sat. Out of it dropped the man who formed a team of his own. Blake hissed in his direction as he slowly ascended towards the platform where the matches had gone on. Once he was there, Goodwitch told them to ready themselves.

Ruby let out Crescent Rose, giving it her characteristic spin before sinking it into the rock behind her. D smiled, his lightning aura pulsating in front of him. Slowly, it took the shape of a scythe, an exact replica of Crescent Rose, but purple. He gave it the exact same twirl, sinking it into the rock behind him.

"You see that?" whispered Cardin. Yang felt her intelligence leave her head. _No shit we saw it, we're all watching the same thing_.

"Shut up," hissed back Dove. _Dove Bronzewing. What a pathetic name for a guy_, lamented Yang.

Goodwitch seemed to be taking her time with this one. Once she had given the fighters yet _another_ once-over, she pronounced, "Begin!"

Ruby flash-stepped forwards, bringing her scythe in an arc that should have taken D's head. Just as quickly he started to move away, a glyph appearing around him. Yang heard Weiss gasp and three more also appeared. "Glyphs of acceleration," the heiress muttered.

D had just focused on running for now, until over fifteen glyphs had surrounded his body. Now his movements were lightning quick, although his aura had taken a bit blow just to get that far. Ruby flash-stepped again, this time her scythe appearing behind D. She fired and shot and pulled back, but he had already disappeared. His own scythe licked out and caught Ruby in the arm and he rushed by her, Ruby's aura being the only reason the arm wasn't cut off.

Yang saw Ruby's eyes widen as she realized what had happened. D had put them both at the exact same level, in terms of weapon and speed. Ruby's eyes narrowed, and Yang watched as her sister devoted herself fully to the fight.

Scythes crashed together over and over again, bullet casings the only reason the audience knew they were being used. Ruby quickly increased her speed until she was flash-stepping almost constantly. Their duel turned from a barely visible clash of steel on hardened aura to invisible. The participants moved faster than the audience could watch.

Yang felt her mouth fall open. She didn't know her sister could be _this good_. In a flash and crash of scythes, the participants appeared on opposite sides from where they started. Neither one was even panting as D lay down on his scythe. He flicked his hand and some aura appeared in it, taking on the shape of a small cloth. It turned red, and he whispered, though loud enough for all to hear, "tauro."

Ruby fell for the bait, flashing to meet him. Their duel became invisible again, although larger and larger chunks of stone were being cut out of their platform. Yang took her eyes off the action for a second to see the scoreboard. Neither of them were even under 90%. The fight continued long after class should have been over, but no one pressed the point. They were entranced by a duel they couldn't even see, although Yang heard the occasional curse as a bullet flew by a spectator into the ground next to them.

In a flash, the two participants were visible again. Ruby held her scythe behind her, the blade resting against D's neck. D had his aura "Crescent Rose" in its collapsed gun form, point straight out behind him at Ruby's head. Goodwitch let out a shaky breath. "Draw!" she announced.

Slowly the two of them lowered their weapons to the applause of their class. Even Weiss and team CRDL were on their feet and clapping. Slowly, D offered Ruby a hand. Ruby tentatively let out hers and shook it. Great wings expanded behind D, and he flew off. As Ruby walked back to her team through the disbanding class-_Goodwitch did say we were excused for the rest of the day_-she opened her hand. Inside was a little paper, which she took out and uncurled.

"Well sis?" started Yang expectantly.

"Huh?" replied Ruby. Now that most of the class was gone she looked one hell of a lot more tired than she did earlier.

"What's it say?" prompted Weiss.

Ruby looked down at the little paper again. "_Well done_."

**A/N**

**This chapter felt a little rushed, but I wanted to start off the main storyline already. And solidify D as a character with a little more depth than was shown in the last chapter. Thanks to my ONE reviewer, I edited some stuff to get the right terminology, PLEASE REVIEW guys. It really helps me, and you'll be reading better stuff if you help me.**

**Blake's fight with Yang took up more space than I intended, but it was fun to write. The whole bit in the forest was a reference to the book she was reading earlier, tell me if you found the passage it refers to! Two chapters in one day is not something you should expect, but this had very little dialogue so I found it flowed rather naturally. **


	4. A Day Off

"Where's Blake?" asked Ruby. The team was sitting in the school's mess hall alone at their table, as team JNPR hadn't rolled out of bed yet. Which made sense, it was a day off. Yang had no idea how her team had managed to get her up. It was three weeks since their eventful sparring match, and RWBY had fallen into a bit of a routine. It was almost getting boring.

Weiss sighed loudly. "Are you blind?" she snidely asked. "Look." She pointed over Yang's shoulder. Yang turned to see Blake at the other side of the mess, eating breakfast with… D? When did those two get close?

"When did those two get close?" asked Ruby for her. Their leader had taken a pause in eating, leaving her with a merely decimated plate of pancakes rather than a demolished one. And that was with five whole flatjacks left.

"How should I know?" snipped Weiss. "If you want to know, why don't you just ask her?"

True, Blake had been gone a lot recently, but Yang assumed it was for something like studying for classes or reading. Something boring. But guy business was supposed to be Yang's area of expertise. Not that it was really her business what Blake did with her free time, but Yang was feeling… Jealous. She recognized the emotion instantly, having instilled it in too many dates in the past to not know the symptoms.

Without a word, she got up from the table. "Yang, where are 'ya going?" asked a perplexed Ruby around her fork. Yang didn't respond, just walked over to the carts to put away her tray and walked over to Blake.

The two Faunus weren't lost in conversation, and D broke off whatever he was saying as Yang approached. "Hey Yang" started Blake as she turned around. "Yang? What's up?" Blake was getting nervous at seeing her expression. Good. That would make things easier.

"I'm borrowing her," she told D as she grabbed one of Blake's arms. "Come on kitty." If Blake had any less self control she would have squeaked when Yang picked her up and dragged her out of the hall.

As soon as the two were out of the mess Blake succeeded in tearing her arm free from the blonde. "The hell, Yang? What was that abou-"

Blake was cut off by Yang shoving her into the wall. The brawler shoved her face right into Blake's, her mouth finding Blake's ear. "You've been ignoring me long enough kitty. You're spending the day with me." Blake gulped, but offered no resistance when Yang pulled them through the halls towards the airship bay.

* * *

"Where are we going anyway?" asked Blake as she gazed out a window. Now that her partner had calmed down-Blake didn't know why or if she was ever angry-it seemed a good question to lead off on.

"Oh, you know," replied the brawler. "Places." Blake rolled her eyes mentally. Trust her partner to rip her away from an important conversation and not even think two steps ahead. Still, it was… Cute, she supposed, for Yang to be so concerned. And even Blake had to admit that she had spent less time than she should have with her team.

But D had information that Blake needed. Movements of the White Fang and Roman Torchwick, plans laid out by both sides, Grim sightings, everything. He seemed to be in every loop and have ears everywhere. No wonder the White Fang had hired him seven years ago. He could probably teach their resident Schnee about her own company.

That wasn't being fair to the heiress. Weiss had genuinely surprised her in the past, no reason to be bitter about things that weren't even her fault.

Blake shrugged off her brooding to look out over the city of Vale. She seemed to have a love-hate relationship with the city, where she loved it but it hated her. _Or maybe it's the other way around_, she mused. _Perhaps I hate it because of the memories_. The airship landing shook her from her thoughts. She hadn't listened to a word her partner said for almost the whole trip, but it probably didn't matter.

A hand from the blonde grabbed hers as she was pulled out of the airship. "Have you decided where we're going yet?" she asked, amused.

The brawler flashed her a winning smile but said nothing, unusual for her. Either she had a trick planned or she decided it was time for her best behavior. Both situations scared Blake. There was little the ninja could do however, as she was lead through the streets of Vale.

As they made their way through the throng of people, Blake thought she saw their destination, and tried to stop. "Oh no Yang. You're not taking me as your date from some club." The blonde refused to release her however. As soon as they were outside the club, Yang stopped, but Blake still couldn't escape.

"Who ever said anything about a club?" Yang asked with a twinkle in her eye. "We're going bowling." To the left of the club, almost unseen behind the neon, was a small bowling alley. Blake rolled her eyes. Trust her partner to lead her on like that. Then again, Blake _had_ fallen for it, so maybe the brawler was better than she thought.

"Bowling?" she mused. "You know, I've never been bowling."

The blonde's eyes lit up with a devious glee, making Blake instantly regret confiding that information. Slowly Yang walked towards her, a sultry sway in her hips, as she leaned her mouth next to the ninja's ear. "Well then," she said seductively. "I'll just have to teach you."

Blake's face was the color of Ruby's cape as Yang backed away, although it had very little to do with the odd glances people sent their way. But Yang's smile was infectious, and Blake was forced to grin in return. This was going to be… Interesting.

* * *

A rawkish laugh filled the room of the airship. Blake gritted her teeth as Yang snuggled up to her shoulder. Somehow, the brawler had managed to get them into the club after bowling. Where Yang had decided that the best course of action would be to try to get her partner slobbering drunk. Of course, once the blonde got that drunk, she stopped noticing that Blake's glass never lost liquid.

A wandering hand slipped its way up Blake's head to toy with her ears. Blake gasped, slapping it away. She looked down again and the brawler giggled; somehow she had found a way to lie down with her head on Blake's lap. "My kitty…" she whispered, before falling into a fit of giggles again. Blake rolled her eyes, but sighed inwardly. Much as she would never admit it, a drunk and _very_ affectionate Yang was not exactly a bad thing in her book.

To hand that wormed its way under her shirt was too far though. Blake gasped at the feeling, but removed it nonetheless. "Yang!" she hissed.

"Kitty doesn't want me to pet her?" The blonde giggled. "But kitty is so pretty…" Her hand tried to find its way under Blake's shirt again. The airship docking brought the ninja the escape she needed. Without her usual grace, Blake stood, almost causing the brawler to fall to the floor.

Before the blonde could fully roll off her, Blake's hands shot down to catch her shoulders. "Damn it Yang," she complained. "Stand up!" Yang complied, but had to use Blake's shoulder as a head rest. Slowly, the pair made their way off the airship onto the campus.

Yang's walking was nowhere near the perfection she normally managed, the walk that had more than one set of eyes drooling wherever she went. As they approached their room, Yang suddenly giggled again, her hand grabbing the back of Blake's head. "Wha-_mhm_!" Blake was cut off by a pair of lips crashing into her. A very soft, sweet pair, that worked magic on her mouth. It took a full ten seconds for her brain to kick back into gear and shove the blonde off of her.

Blake's hand covered her mouth as her partner swayed on her feet, but the blonde didn't trip. Yang giggled again. "Been waiting to do that for…" She never finished as sleep overtook her on her feet. Blake had the presence of mind to grab her before her head hit the ground but her mind was still reeling. Not from the kiss-Yang was good, but not _that_ good-but from the feelings behind it. Slowly, an evil thought crept into the ninja's head. Oh, she was going to have some fun in the morning. Just some arrangements for Ruby and Weiss to leave before Yang awoke, and the torture would begin.

**A/N**

**Yeah, this chapter is short. I was torn between continuing the arc and taking a little time off of it, but I figured at least one of the pairings had to start or this would look like a pretty crappy "romance" fic. That being said, the rest of the story will probably be easier once I get one pairing in.**

**I chose Bumblebee over White Rose as the main pairing because the story from Blake/Yang's perspective is easier for me to write (I drafted a chapter from Ruby's perspective and it was awful) and the members of White Rose aren't really in the stages of mental development to have the type of relationship Bumblebee has. Theirs is going to involve a lot of fluff, I already have the scene written out, although it won't come for another five chapters or something. **


	5. Mission Orders

Yang groggily opened her eyes. Last night had been fun, but now she had to pay the price. Her head was pounding like tens of tiny Yangs were trying to punch their way through her skull. Light filtered through the window, assaulting her eyes, all too sensitive. The party was fun, but the aftereffects were not to be taken lightly.

Yang lowered her hands to her face, hanging her head in shame. But her hands weren't moving. With a start, Yang looked up, only to see her hands tied to the headboard. But her bed didn't have a headboard. Slowly she gulped. She might have a hangover like the seven hells, but her mind was working enough to know she wasn't in her own bed.

A thousand little thoughts fly through her mind as she tried to piece together the night before. She didn't _think_ she had gone off with some girl, but then again… No, she couldn't have, Blake wouldn't have let her. Wait a second… "Blake!" she cried.

"Hmm?" she heard from across the room. Paper rustled as a page was turned.

"The hell Blake!" she shouted, but regretted it instantly. The noise reverberated in her head, making her swoon. Shouting during your hangover was never a good idea, she had learned that three years ago. But like a stupid dog, she always came back, thinking that maybe the fire wouldn't hurt _this_ time.

"Well well," she heard. "Someone's awake." There was the sound of a book closing and footsteps walking towards her, but Yang didn't want to open her eyes. To do that would be to stare into the amazingly bright lights on the ceiling, and the smug grin she knew her partner would have. It was the same grin Blake would put on whenever the team played a prank on Ruby or Weiss.

"The hell Blake?" she asked again, though this time much softer. She could feel the Faunus looming over her, so she risked opening her eyes. Blake was indeed grinning, her amber eyes sparkling as she gazed at her… Captive, Yang supposed was the best word. Yang took a look around, making sure it was their dorm room.

"Where are Ruby and Weiss?" she questioned the ninja, concerned. Either they were all in on this prank, or Blake had sent them off somewhere and this was all her. That was a scary thought.

A finger ghosted its way up Yang's side, coming to rest on her collarbone. Blake leaned her head in close to Yang's own, and whispered into her ear. "They're gone. Just you and me, sweetheart."

Yang could think of a thousand ways to describe Blake. Intelligent, mysterious, reliable, pretty, open-minded, introverted, she could go on. One she would have never thought of before was sadistic. But with her partner gazing her up and down, her fingers leaving trails of fire, that's exactly how she seemed. And Yang would be damned if it wasn't really hot.

"What is all this… about?" she managed, inwardly cursing. Blake was getting to her, the feather-light touches slowly getting lower until they were on her chest, right above her breasts.

"How much of last night do you remember?"

Yang panicked. Scenarios flashed through her mind of everything that could have happened last night, but getting Blake in bed with her was not one. She'd have loved to do it, but Blake hadn't drunk a drop of alcohol, and Yang knew she wouldn't let go of her self-control without it. "Uhh…" she got out. "We were bowling and… We went to a club… And…" Yang had no idea what happened after that. Once they were at the club she had two Strawberry Sunrises, a single Tropical Mojito, and at _least_ three Orange Blossoms. She remembered three drinks in dancing with some random girl whose shirt was much too short for her chest, and some other girl who wore a skirt that was much too long for Yang to appreciate.

"When we were on the airship you kissed me," Blake filled her in. "And tried to get more." Yang's face flushed. _Crap_, she thought, _no going back from that. My loose lips sunk my ship_.

"L-listen, Blake. I c-can explai-" she stammered, hoping to worm her way out of her predicament somehow. She wasn't sure exactly what she said, but she'd been trying to get with Blake for a month now. Whatever it was, it couldn't have been good.

Yang was cut off by a hand groping her breast. She let out a surprised moan, her hands shaking in their bindings. She gave them another look. _Damn, they're metal. Ropes I could burn out of, but those would mean taking the whole dorm with them_.

"N-now Blake. I know you're angry or something, but-_ah_!" The hand on her breast suddenly pinched her nipple through her clothes. Blake's smug grin could have put Cardin Winchester's to shame.

"Tell me you don't want this," whispered the Faunus, "and I'll stop."

"Not-not f-fair," Yang struggled out, as the ninja continued her work. "Y-you know full-ah!-well that I w-want it."

Blake suddenly pulled back. Yang was finally afforded some peace to try and work out her thoughts without distraction. A lovely, wholly welcome distraction, but a distraction nonetheless. She wasn't allowed much though, as Blake giggled. "You didn't say anything about it," the ninja informed her blonde friend.

Yang froze. The words ringing in her ear had nothing to do with her rapidly fading hangover. "I-I didn't say… But then how did you… Did I just…?" Everything clicked into place for Yang. She must have gotten drunk, kissed Blake, and Blake set this whole event up based on a hunch. Damn, that cat was good.

Yang looked over to her partner and saw confirmation smeared all over her face. "Now that you're caught up…" the ninja whispered seductively, biting her lower lip for added effect. "... want me to continue." Now _that_ was hot, Yang decided. She involuntarily groaned at the invitation, and once again tried to free her hands. "I'll take that as a yes."

Both of Blake's hands started working magic over Yang's skin, one working its way under her shirt-vaguely she realized she must have left it on-while the other massaged Yang's scalp. "Blake…" she groaned. "Kiss me."

"What?" The hands on her stopped moving, making Yang whimper at the loss of stimulation.

"If you're going to do this… I'd like you to kiss me." Yang's face heated up as she said it, but it was true. She could barely resist the black-haired Faunus girl, she wanted this.

Slowly, ever so slowly, Blake's head descended, until their lips barely brushed together. As if on an impulse, the fingers in Yang's hair tightened, lifting the brawler's head until the kiss was much more heated. Quickly Yang opened her mouth, attempting to snake her tongue into Blake's. The girl's lips were so soft, so sweet. Before she could make any headway, a ring filled the room.

Blake disengaged her lips from Yang, finding her scroll. It was ringing; Ruby was calling her. _Damn it Ruby_, Yang thought. _Couldn't you have waited just five more minutes_? Blake answered, bringing the scroll to her ear. Her face blanched as Ruby talked, losing the flush from just a few moments ago. "All right," Blake said. "We'll be there as soon as we can."

Blake turned back to Yang, walking over and undoing the bindings on her hands. Finally free, Yang attempted to embrace her partner, but Blake stopped her. "Not now Yang," she said. Her voice was incredibly serious. "Ozpin just called a meeting in the main building. Something's wrong."

Yang changed into her combat gear quickly, ignoring the residual ringing in her head. As the two girls started down the hallway, Blake caught her hand. "We'll continue this later, okay?" Yang nodded and turned away, not allowing the ninja to see that massive smile that split her face.

* * *

"What's going on?" Blake asked Ruby as she and Yang made their way into the main room. She was responded to with a finger over Ruby's lips, the little red girl _shush-_ing her. The pair could not hear Ozpin's voice droning on

"... and because of these recent revelations, all teams deemed 'combat able' will report to the professor they are assigned. First years, Professor Goodwitch. Second years, Professor Port. Third years, Professor Marlin. Fourth years, you will remain here are report to me. Remember, when dealing with creatures of Grim, you must be decisive but not rash. You must show caution but do not dawdle. And you must show restraint but not mercy. You are dismissed."

Being in the back of the room, team RWBY were among the first ones out. At Ruby's insistence, they jogged to Goodwitch's room. Just before they entered, Blake was finally able to stop Ruby. "What's going on? What did we miss?" she demanded to know.

Ruby sighed, suddenly seeming a lot older. "We don't know," she replied. "Ozpin got tipped off that there were massive Grim sightings on the north side of Vale, so he did some investigating. Turns out there are well over three hundred creatures of Grim there." By the end Blake's expression turned grim… Ironically. Ruby nudged her head to the side, shooing her team into the professor's room. Blake kept forgetting that as soon as the fight started, all the youthful exuberance left Ruby, leaving her a grizzled leader.

The team headed into the room. Blake saw Weiss open her mouth, but Goodwitch spoke faster. "Good, you're here. We're going to wait for the other teams before we get started here. I don't care Weiss." That shut up the heiress. Somewhat uncalled for, but Goodwitch was allowed to feel a little stress right now from what Blake had heard. Still, she wondered…

"Professor? What about the actual huntsmen and huntresses? What will they be doing?" Goodwitch just shot her the evil eye and did not deign to answer.

Slowly the other teams filtered their way in, taking up makeshift ranks. Blake glanced over, noting their expressions. Most of them seemed as confused as she was, some looking scared. Monty Ironclaw, the leader of team MORT, looked excited. Lie Ren was as calm as ever. D stood against the doorway in the back after everyone had filled in, effectively stopping any escape.

"Good, you're all here," started Goodwitch. "Now we'll get down to business. You may only be first years here, but you still have to pull your weight. You will all be stationed on the eastern side of the front, which ought to see less combat. Teams CRDL and MORT, you will be working together in the…" Blake tuned out Goodwitch as she went over the team assignments, not caring except where team RWBY was going.

"… and lastly, teams RWBY and JNPR will be in the western combat station. As the top teams of the class, you will be posted closest to any possible fights. I trust this is not an issue." Her tone made the question a statement. Not bad though, in Blake's opinion. If she had to fight with anyone, it may as well be JNPR. They were friends.

"Professor, may I know where I will be posted?" came from behind her. All eyes turned to see D, still resting on the doorframe. Goodwitch seemed visibly shocked by the question, not as if she didn't notice him, but as if she thought she couldn't tell him what to do. Blake was more than a little interested at the reaction.

"Of course," Goodwitch managed to reply smoothly. "You will be with RWBY and JNPR."

"Hey, why are the top three teams all going together?" demanded Darfoch of team QILD. QILD had placed close to last in the tournament.

"Because I said so," snapped a perturbed Goodwitch. "You have no room to question my decision Darfoch." She made the statement a threat. The boy gulped and nodded, backing down instantly. "You are dismissed."

**A/N**

**So there's that. I was tempted to cut it off, but my chapters have been getting shorter and shorter, and I don't like that. This should have come out a day ago, but I didn't want to write while intoxicated. That would be doing a disservice to all of you. That being said, R&R, hopefully not too long before the next chapter.**

**Quick note concerning Ruby. I made an alternate personality for her, because even though she's charming and full of energy and intelligent, she isn't very bright. I just can't write a character like that, it gets on my nerves extremely fast, so she's going to be a lot more down-to-earth for the majority of this arc at least.**


	6. The New Dorm

"_Why did you have us lie to them? You said there were only three hundred Grim."_

"_If we're lucky, that's all they'll ever see. The fourth years and third years know more, that's why they're separated from the first and second years. Did they ask about the full fledged huntsmen and huntresses?"_

"_I told them they were busy dealing with day-to-day business, and we didn't have any authority anyway."_

"_Good. Hopefully this White Fang business is over before the Grim attack. If the first and second years find themselves against ten times the number we told them, not many will make it out."_

* * *

The nine members of teams RWBY, JNPR, and D had been stoically quiet for the trip to their "posting". Even Ruby and Nora hadn't tried to break the silence. Currently, they had been given a large van and directions to their house. Weiss sat on the left of the first row, staring out the window. Ruby sat next to her, clearly thinking hard. Beside them were Jaune and Pyrrha, and behind them were Nora and Ren. D was driving, although he had muttered something about having faster transportation available and missing a golden opportunity.

Yang sat next to Ren, with Blake on her right. The Faunus was sleeping, using her shoulder as a pillow. Yang fought the urge to reach over and pet her, partly of fear of waking her up, and partly from fear of what would happen _if_ she woke up. Yang did not need her wrist to be broken right before a mission.

The city sped past them, as somehow D had gotten a police light and siren; Yang didn't want to know how. Their posting was inside Forever Fall, slightly north of the start of the upper class housing of Vale. Soon the city receded, giving way to a snowy sea of red and yellow leaves. All too soon, or not soon enough, they pulled up to a… well, shack was the best way Yang could describe it. It looked like a cross between haunted house out of children's story book and grandmother's house where you could always find fresh cookies and a warm fire.

As the car rolled to a stop, seat-belts started coming off. Blake rose her head groggily, seeing only a Yang with a smile. The eight passengers made their way out of the van, heading around to the back to get their stuff. Bags with clothes, toiletries, specialty snacks, dust, scraps of metal, the huntsmen and huntresses in training had brought everything. D seemed to have brought nothing, he just made his way to the door. Leaving it ajar behind him, Yang watched as he went in.

Not wanting to lag behind, the two teams quickly gathered things and followed, those who slept attempting to wake up by moving. When Nora crashed into the side of the van, almost knocking over Pyrrha, it was clear that wasn't working too well. Ruby and Weiss had already made it to the top of the stairs, and as soon as they saw the inside of the house, even Weiss visibly brightened.

As soon as yang got to the top, she had to stop her jaw from dropping. It seemed she hadn't given the huntsmen enough credit, they enjoyed their comfort. The front hall opened up to a cozy looking room, with an Ursa skin rug next to a fireplace. Three couches were arrayed, each having space for four people, as well as two large chairs angled _just so_ so that if one were to read the fire would give enough light to the book.

Yang made her way through the room, noticing some stairs. Before she could make her way up though, D was blocking the path, standing in the middle of the stairs. "There are six rooms," he announced, "with three beds per room. Sort out who's sleeping where." With that, he walked back out to the door.

Yang looked around, everyone seeming to wait on a knife's edge. Then Ruby made a move, dashing up the stairs. A chorus of squawks and giggles could be heard as the seven others followed, no one wanting someone else to lay claim to the good rooms before them.

In the end, Ruby and Weiss got the room farthest from the stairs, Jaune and Ren sharing the room next farthest on the right while Nora and Pyrrha took the room across from them. Blake had opted for the room on the left, closest to the stairs. At the ninja's request, and much to Yang's amusement, they ended up sharing the room, though Yang would have prefered a room to herself.

After unpacking, the two teams left in the house-D had disappeared-went about exploring the premise. Yang and Blake found a fully equipped kitchen, while Jaune and Pyrrha found the dining room set up for eighteen next door to it. Suddenly, Yang heard a shriek that could only be described as Ruby, seemingly from below her; Weiss and Ruby had found a set of stairs going down. Groaning, but wanting to know what had scared or excited her sister, Yang followed down the stairs. Once she got down she located the source of interest instantly.

Ruby had found the workshop. It was massive, taking up almost the whole basement, a good fifty square meters. There were wooden and metal tables and workbenches in the middle, with ample space to walk between them. Along the walls were arrayed every tool Yang could ever imagine, and a good few she would have never thought of. In the far corner of the room were large drills and bores, for those times when you just needed a hole so large you couldn't hold the drill yourself.

Yang knew the true meaning of this room though: Weiss just got a room to herself. Ruby would probably move her stuff down here, and never leave unless absolutely forced to. She loved these things _way_ too much for Yang's enjoyment, as she had spent more than one sleepless night listening to the drone of machinery from their own workshop.

"Yessss!" she heard Ruby squeal. "Look Yang! They have everything here! Quarter centimeter drills, half-socket wrenches, even a diamond-plated dust-powered drill! And is that… A hydraulic clamp! Oh and they hav-" Weiss' hand appeared over Ruby's mouth, stopping any further outbursts.

"Yang," she said calmly, although Yang could tell that she was not calm at all, "what do we do about this?" She nodded her head in Ruby's direction, as if Yang didn't know what the subject was.

The blonde sighed. Once Ruby got started, there would be little way of getting her to stop. Although… "We can set up a schedule for her to work. Or a time limit." The brawler honestly thought it was a good idea. She didn't know why she hadn't instituted it in the past.

"But Yaaaang!" Oh, that's why. "I want to upgrade Crescent Rose, and I want to work on yours and Blake's and Weiss' weapons, and I can give a tune-up to team JNPR's, and-" The cold hand covered the red-haired bubble of energy's mouth again. Weiss shot a pleading look at Yang, hoping the brawler knew a way to control her sister. Yang shook her head, answering no.

* * *

Three hours later found Blake curled up in one of the big arm chairs by the fire. A plate lay on the table next to her, nothing but crumbs. D had collected firewood, got them there, and set up defensive glyphs on the perimeter, allowing them to sleep without needing a sentry, he said he was quite done and someone else could cook. Surprisingly though, Ren turned out to be a mean cook. He had made most people chicken sandwiches, but somehow Yang had tipped him off and Blake got a tuna one. Not that she minded.

Ruby seemed to have calmed down from finding the workshop-although not before doing some work on the weapons of _everyone_-and now lay sitting on the other chair. Weiss, Jaune, Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren were all still at the dining table, talking and joking, though the heiress seemed to be there out of respect more so than anything else. Blake had yet to hear her laugh.

A loud noise announced the arrival of Yang, along with a flaring of the fire. Yang's semblance gave the fire added strength, sending a wave of warmth across the room. She had flopped onto the couch closest to Blake, and she knew what was coming next. "What'cha readin'?" Nailed it.

Blake did not grace her with a glance, she merely spoke without looking. "It is a collection of short, unconnected stories."

"Well, what's in about?" Yang was so predictable, it almost made Blake smile. Almost, but she had to stay cool, no point in letting Yang know she actually enjoyed sharing information about her stories.

"This story is entitled _The White Snake_, and it refers to a man to whom animals converse. He does favors for them and receives in kind." Of course, she had read _The White Snake_ almost an hour ago, and was now reading _The Three Languages_, but she hoped Yang would get the message.

"Interesting." Of course not. The brawler was a good partner, caring and outrageous at the same time, but subtle was not a word anyone had ever used to describe Yang Xiao Long.

* * *

"Yang?" Two hours later the teams had retired, ready to get started the next day. Now was the time for Blake to tell Yang why she had them in the same room.

"Yeah?" answered the blonde, clearly about to sleep and being rudely taken away from it.

"Sleep with me." Blake could almost hear Yang's eyes pop out. Resisting the urge to laugh, she merely waited for a reply.

"Blakey," Yang started tentatively, "I know you said we'd continue, but don't you think you're moving a bit-_awk_!" The pillow Blake threw hit Yang square in the face, knocking the brawler back down to her bed.

"Don't get ideas, pyromaniac. I merely wish for a source of reliable heat, and you happen to be a furnace." Blake heard rustling as Yang made her way across the room, slowly lowering herself onto Blake's bed. Blake lifted her blankets, allowing Yang to slip underneath them. Quickly she set them down again, so as not to let the chill night air in.

Blake sighed as she wrapped her arms around her partner, snuggling up to the warmth. Their bodies flush, she felt Yang's pulse begin to rise. "Don't even think about asking for more," Blake said sleepily. "We're going to take this nice and slow…"

**A/N**

**So that's that, a little chapter without too much seriousness. For those of you who deigned to review and wondered about how harsh the teachers were to the students, I got the idea from the trailer for Season 2, where someone called the students soldiers (and let me remind you the whole reason I got this idea was while watching Chrome Shelled Regios.)**

**I think I read in the Treaty of Versailles that every Bumblebee fic has to have a scene where Blake gets cold and uses Yang as a heater, so I had to put it in. Also, if you know what book Blake was reading, you get a pat on the back from me… Well, an imaginary one at least.**


	7. An Interlude

It had been a week since they were… stationed, at the house in Forever Fall. Goodwitch had sent instructions the next day, telling them to patrol once a day. Ruby, D, and Jaune had decided to split the patrols into partner groups, with alternating pairings. Day one was Ruby and Weiss with D, day two was Yang and Blake with Jaune and Pyrrha, and so forth. One group could have two days off in a row or work two days straight, but it wasn't really an issue. Ruby had later explained it was so that if they were caught in a real fight, all the members of their enlarged team, their squad, could fight well with any other member.

Today it was Yang and Blake with Ren and Nora. The terrain was too large for one group, so they split up. Today they had to pick up extra slack from the second-year squad in the next Hunter house, as for some reason they could only manage a half patrol-something about some cheap, dodgy seafood.

Blake hopped from the boughs of one great tree to the next. She and Yang had made an agreement that she would scout from above while Yang walked the forest floor. Yang couldn't do all that running and jumping, and both knew the brawler would have much better chances than the ninja if she was blind-sided by an Ursa.

Blake chuckled to herself, jumping from the branches of a huge oak to a willowy ash, remembering Yang's face after she pulled the blonde into her bed the first night.

* * *

"_So what happened between us at Beacon…?" Yang asked tentatively as she awoke._

_Blake snuggled her head further into Yang's neck. "It was all of a sudden and I was hot," she confessed. "Like I said, I'll take this nice and slow." She drew out the nice, knowing full well her partner would have preferred something a little more… fast paced._

* * *

Yang's crestfallen look had been priceless, but apparently the brawler decided to take what she could get. Although that didn't stop her rambunctious blonde partner from trying to steal a kiss now and then when no one was watching. It was like a game to her, to try and find the most uncomfortable timings for Blake. Still, Blake supposed it was… fun.

"Blake!" she heard said partner call. "We should start heading back!" Blake checked her scroll. It was only an hour before three-quarters of the day had passed, but in Forever Fall nighttime came early. And with Weiss by his side, D had informed everyone that their wards went up at twenty-hundred, and could not be fine-tuned to separate them from the monsters. In other words, get back by twenty-hundred or spend the night outside.

Blake called back her affirmation of the time, turning around. Their path back would be a short-cut through the woods, so they wouldn't backtrack, and because Ren would probably be serving dinner in a few hours. Seriously, that man could cook. She didn't want to know where D got the ingredients though. She was _pretty _sure one of those steaks was at one point a Death Stalker.

Their way back was uneventful, although that was to be expected. Only Ruby's patrol had seen a monster a grand total of once, and it was a single Beowulf that died to two bullets. Some half-starved monster that wouldn't have been a threat to even the slowest of sheep. Meanwhile, they got reports from the eastern side where the fourth years were. There was some heavy fighting over there.

As Blake descended from the large chestnut she had been in, she could see Ren and Nora waiting in the clearing for them. She smiled, hoping to surprise them. Unfortunately, she was in for the surprise when her blonde partner shoved her back onto the trunk of the tree.

"They haven't seen or heard us yet," she hissed into Blake's ear. "So keep quiet." Blake was about to question her when her ability-and desire-to talk was cut off by a pair of luscious lips. Blake didn't exactly reject it, but she was painfully aware of their friends standing on the other side of the tree.

Yang detached her mouth, moving to Blake's jaw. She planted kisses on Blake's jaw, reaching up her neck. The ninja had to stifle any gasps for fear of the other pair hearing them. She could hear Nora complaining about the wait from the other side of the tree, like she was also leaning against it. _She doesn't have a blonde brawler ravishing her though_, she thought, stifling a moan as Yang sucked on a sensitive spot on her neck. _She's missing out_.

But Blake couldn't let this go any farther, or they actually would be found out. While there was no rule against partners dating, nor did she think their friends would mind, seeing Ren and D's smug, satisfied faces when they found out they had been right all along would be mortifying. Not to mention having to deal with the ice princess' lecture on proper etiquette.

Blake pulled up the blonde's face to hers for another kiss, not as needing but lingering. She broke away, pressing her forehead against Yang's. Her breath came in short, silent gasps. "Not now," she whispered.

* * *

"_Are you sure about this?" the man with red hair asked._

"_Positive, we got confirmation this morning," replied the man in black._

"_Interesting… Report this to Queen."_

"_Yes sir." The man in black departed._

_The man with red hair turned back to his map, his mind alight with new plans._

* * *

**A/N**

**So this one was short. Pathetically short. I have had almost no time to write, and unfortunately I'll have even less time over the next two weeks. Well, I'll be writing a ton, but it'll be for the class I'm taking and not for Fanfiction. Anyway, I felt I needed at least a little update, so I decided to throw in a little fluff chapter that didn't advance the plot at all. Except for that last bit.  
**

**More than one person has said the Bumblebee stuff got too serious too fast, that's because it was supposed to. You know, heat of the moment, then later your head cools and you start actually thinking. Anyway, I didn't feel it was fair to you as a reader if I post a short and not excellent update that advances the plot and ends with a cliffhanger only to not update for two weeks. And not posting an update for three weeks might give the wrong impression.  
**


	8. Author's Note

**It's been quite some time since I updated anything on this story, and seeing as I gave the outline to the folks who are reading A Burning Rose, I'll do the same here. **

**No, this is not a sign that this story is going to be updated in the near future. Like A Burning Rose, this is a serious story, and I would like for it to remain as such. Neither of the two will be updated before my practice story, Setting the Bar, has been completed.**

**I feel like this story has potential, and Setting the Bar is my way of testing out new writing techniques as well as honing my craft. I have not forgotten, nor will I forget, about this story.**

**Now on to the outline: This story is going to be re-written. You already knew that, but because I told the other folks what to expect, I'll do the same for you. **

**Unlike A Burning Rose, this story will undergo a major overhaul, including a different premise that allows the story to have more fluidity and longevity. The idea for the new one is: "When the shadows remain, in the light of day, on wings of darkness he'll retaliate."** **There will be a prologue where Ozpin's team attack a sanctuary of the Grimm. In it, Ruby's father is killed, and Summer Rose sacrifices her life to seal the sanctuary (could that get any more cliched?). **

**Anyway, D will remain, but he'll be a different character. I like the idea of him being a solo team, but I'm going to make him seem more like a guy who wants friends and never had any rather than someone too aloof to make any. **

**In broad terms, the story will be shifted back a few months, to the point where what is currently Chapter One will likely be closer to Chapter Four or Five. This is because I'd like to have a build up to the Tournament, and still have room to work, rather than write myself into a corner. Most of the events that have happened thus far will stay, although with a twist due to the new storyline.**

**If you have feedback on that, please let me know, as that's not set in stone. Once again, I thank you for your patience concerning this story, know that all delays are for your reading enjoyment.**


End file.
